Oklahoma! at the Mayflower Theatre Southampton Review
Oklahoma!
Mayflower Theatre, Southampton
5-9 May 2015
Reviewed by Cheryl Wesley
Last night we visit the Mayflower Theatre in Southampton to see the musical Oklahoma! We found the theatre with ease. Putting the postcode into the satnav we arrived stress-free and the theatre was signposted clearly. We arrived with plenty of time before the show and parked within a two minute walk, however I imagine if you arrived later parking could be troublesome although there is the nearby railway station car park.
Upon entering the theatre, we received a warm welcome and all the staff were helpful. We went downstairs to the Footlights bar to enjoy a drink before the show. For anyone in need of a light bite, there are a selection of sandwiches, sharing platters and snacks available here. There is also a restaurant upstairs.
With ten minutes until curtain call we headed to our seats, which were very comfortable for a three hour show. I was excited for the show to begin and hopeful I would enjoy the production because although I have never seen the show, I was already aware of some of the wonderful songs.
To start we enjoyed a rousing performance of Oh what a beautiful morning. Ashley Day delivers a marvellous performance acting as Curly, dashingly handsome and determined to win his love Laurey, played by Charlotte Wakefield. The interaction between the two characters was spot on and very believable.
The first act had some dark moments in it with Nic Greenshields giving a quite frankly scarily dramatic portrayal of Jud Fry, drawing the audience into a state of nervous laughter as Curly and Jud sang about his funeral.
Throughout the show the audience laughed along with the funny story lines of a young man trying to win his girl and a womanising peddler. The supporting cast, including Belinda Lang and Gary Wilmot, did a fantastic job.
As you would expect with a musical, there were plenty of dance scenes. The dream ballet at the end of act 1 was fast paced and enjoyable to watch. My favourite dance scene was when the men’s choreography incorporated barrels of hay in, it was very impressive and how they stayed in sync was amazing. Throughout the musical dance scenes props and scene changes were cleverly disguised as part of the show so you hardly recognised the supporting cast were doing it until the song was over.
The live orchestra did a fantastic job in enhancing the performance, with the actors and musicians staying in tune and rhythm throughout the whole show.
Overall we really enjoyed the show and would recommend it to anyone who loves musicals. I would rate the show 5 out of 5 and it lasted for approximately 3 hours with an interval. Book your ticket soon as the show is only on until Saturday, you do not want to miss it!
Rating: 5/5 
Tickets cost from £17.50 to £39.50 (booking fees may apply).
Oklahoma is at the Mayflower Theatre in Southampton until 9 May 2015. For more information or to book tickets click here or call the box office on 02380 711811.
Mayflower Theatre, Commercial Road, Southampton, SO15 1GE | 02380 711811
